Hat construction



Dec. 6, 1949 T. F. LEE 2,490,446

HAT CONSTRUCTION Filed. June 11, 1946 iNVENTOR THOMAS E LEE ATTORN EY5 Patented Dec. 6, 1949 Thomas F. Lee, Danbury, Conn, assignor to The Frank H. Lee Company, Danbury, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Application June 11, 1946, Serial No. 6763 09 1 Claim. (o1. 2-181) The present invention relates to the manufaczure of hats and particularly to a hat construc ion.

More particularly still the invention relates to the fastenin of the commonly used reeded sweatband to a hat. Recently the reeded sweatband construction has been frequently used in hats because of its advantages particularly in rendering the hat readily conformable to the head of the wearer. In this construction, as previously utilized, a strip of waterproof material was folded over a reed or wire, one ofthe folds of material being sewn to the hat and the other fold being sewn to the sweatband. Thus at the lower margin of the sweatband and hat there was a yielding section which rendered the hat more readily conformable to the wearers head. However, this construction was particularly objectionable in that the sewing by means of which the sweatband and the waterproof material were fastened to each other made contact with the body of the hat and, consequently, perspiration passed through the waterproof material and frequently stained the hat and the trim band thereon. In my present construction the sweatband is fixed to the waterproof material and the other fold of the waterproof material in turn fixed to the hat by means of a thermosetting plastic and, consequently, there is no sewing which can act as a wick to transmit perspiration through the sweatband and water-: proof material to the hat and the trimming band thereon.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a hat construction utilizing a reeded sweatband in which a waterproof material forming a portion of the structure is adhered both to the sweatband and to the hat by means of a thermosetting adhesive.

It is a further object of the invention to provide such a structure which eliminates any sewing and, therefore, prevents the transmission of perspiration through the sweatband and waterproof backing material to and through the hat.

It is another object of the invention to utilize induction heating for causing the thermosetting adhesive to set and adhere the parts in their final positions.

Other objects and features of the invention will be apparent when the following description is considered in connection with the annexed drawing which illustrates a fragmentary crosssectional view of a hat having the sweatband afllxed thereto in accordance with my invention.

Referring now to the drawing, there is shown at ill a hathaving the usual brim II. A strip of waterproof material I2 is folded over a reed 13, thereby providing an outer and an inner fold, each fold having an outward and an inward surface. Thermosetting adhesive is placed, as indicated at H, between the folds of the material l2. In addition, thermosetting material is placed at is between the outer surface of the outer fold of the material l2 and the hat, and at is between the inner surface of the inner fold of the material l2 and the sweatband ll. With the reed, the material i2, the sweatband, and the hat assembled in position, as shown, annular bands It and I9 are placed against the inner surface of the sweatband and the outer surface of the hat respectively. These plates 18 and I9 are connected by means of the wires 20 and 2|, respectively, to a high frequency oscillator 22 and thus the assemblage is inductively heated by the high frequency currents passing through the capacity formed by the plates l8 and I9 and the dielectric material ll, l2 and I0. As a result of this, the thermosetting adhesive l4, l5 and I6 is caused to adhere the folds of the material l2 together as well as to adhere the material l2 to the sweatband l1 and to the hat I.

As is clearly indicated in the drawing, the reed i3 having the material l2 folded thereover is relatively free to flex and since this reed is continuous and of the general shape of the hat itself, it will be seen that it tends to conform to the wearers head and to make the hat more comfortable in use. As has been indicated, the use of the thermosetting adhesive in a structure of this type is particularly important since in prior constructions utilizing the reeded sweatband the sewing of the sweatband to the material such as l2 has extended through that material and the thread has made contact with the hat proper in thereby providing paths through which moisture might penetrate into the felt and even, in many instances, through the felt and onto the trim band which is common in such hat structures.

While I have disclosed the utilization of high frequency inductive heating as the means for causing the plastic adhesive to adhere to the material l2 and to the sweatband I1 and hat II], it will be understood that other modes of heating may be employed such, for example, as steam, hot air, or the like. Consequently, I wish to be limited not by the foregoing description which is given solely for purposes of illustration but mentioned strip being adhered to said waterproof rather by the appended claim. material and to said crown, said last-mentioned What is claimed is: strip having its lower edge positioned imme- In a hat, in combination, a sweatband, a reed, diately above said reed and said thermosetting a continuous strip of waterproof material, said 5 strips being aligned with respect to each other.

waterproof material being folded over said reed THOMAS F. LEE.

to cover said reed, said reed and folded water- I proof material being; positioned? between. the REFERENCES CITED sweatband and the juncture point between the The following references are of record in the crown and brim of said hat, a continuous strip, 10 file of this patent: of thermosetting adhesive material positioned between the folds of said waterproof 'mB'fCeIi8i1,1 j I UNITED STATES PATENTS said strip being adhered to said folds to position Number Name Date said reed in the fold of the"waterproof 'material; 38,22,301; P'Itman Apr 13, 1943 a second continuous strip of'thermosetting'ad- 15*; 211 57 B h July 5 9 hesive material positioned between said sweat- 2 030 370 Moses et 1 May 13 1937 band and the outer surface of itheinneri. fold? ofi 23035343 Bierwirth Jam 12, 1943 said Waterproof material, said last-mentioned. 2313 3 1 King 9 1943 strip being adhered to said waterproof material 2,337,567 DeFeo t 23, 945

and said sweatband, and 'a third continuous strip 20 v I of thermosetting material positioned between the FOREIGN PATENTS outer surface-0f the-outerfold Ofs'aid waterproof Number Country Date material and the-crown of said hat; s'aidlast- 6,044/32 Australia Oct. 13, I932 

